Redesigned SUV a clear winner
The company that put the spirit of “zoom zoom” into all of their vehicles has now added a healthy dollop of luxury in their 2017 Mazda CX-5 in a bid to appeal to a larger demographic.
The runaway success of the MX-5 Miata, which debuted in 1989, established Mazda as a company able to build a fun-to-drive sports car at an affordable price.
Since then, the Japanese manufacturer has tried to instil some of that fun-to-drive essence into every vehicle they build — including SUVs.
The first iteration of the CX-5, which debuted in 2012, was a good example of the company’s ethos, with class-leading steering and poise. It became the first choice for enthusiasts forced by circumstance (and age) into a larger vehicle.
The challenge for Mazda engineers and designers was to retain that engaging drive and make it more comfortable and refined.
I believe they hit the nail on the head.
Although the platform remained relatively the same — it also underpins the Mazda3 and CX-9 — the CX-5 received a new set of clothes. One notable change was relocating the front A<pillar rearward approximately 35 millimetres. This gives the driver a better view of the road, but more importantly, it gives the compact SUV a longer hood.
As anybody who has admired a vehicle’s swoopy lines knows, the hood length is one way to impart elegance in a design.
The silhouette between old and new CX-5 remains relatively the same, but with updated design cues to give it a more contemporary look. Why is this important? The CX-5 is in one of the most competitive segments of the industry, with rivals including the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Escape, just to name a few.
If you don’t stand out in this crowd, you’re in trouble.
Mazda is trying hard to sell consumers that they have more premium features than the rest of the field, and style is their strong selling point. Unlike some “busy” designs (I won’t name any names here), the Mazda ethos translates into an almost obsessive purge of extraneous details. The end result is more European than Japanese, perhaps fitting as they openly admit benchmarking the CX-5 to premium brands from that continent.
The interior has similarly undergone a transformation, with French stitching on leather seats, textured coverings and high-gloss piano surfaces co-existing together in harmony.
The only misstep is the decision not to offer a panorama roof. In the market Mazda is targeting, this feature is almost mandatory. That it is available in rivals such as the Honda CR-V and others simply confirms it.
Mazda also has made the rear cargo cover a dealer-installed accessory, while it is a standard feature in almost all of its rivals. Strange.
What it did do is offer 40/20/40 split folding seats for greater cargo-carrying flexibility over its rivals. There are release handles in the trunk and the resulting cargo floor is almost flat.
But the biggest change in the cabin is not so much what you can see, but what you can’t hear.
Sound engineers went to town to make the cabin whisper quiet, without resorting to electronic white noise to mask sounds.
Through the use of more seals, an acoustic windshield, thicker front windows, new material for the headliner and a generous application of sound-deadening insulation, the cabin of the CX-5 quietly insulates occupants from the noisy world outside.
The powertrain is largely a carryover from last year. In Canada, buyers can now choose between a 2.0- or 2.5-litre fourcylinder engine. A turbocharged 2.2-litre diesel is expected to be available by the end of the year.
I drove the 2.5-litre engine, producing 187 horsepower and 185 foot-pounds of torque, mated with a six-speed automatic.
Honestly, the 2017 drove much like the last-generation car (which produced two fewer horsepower), but that’s not a bad thing.
It was (and is) at the top of the field insofar as performance goes in the segment. It has been, and will continue to be, the choice for enthusiasts. Bravo Mazda.
What they did do is add a bit of engineering wizardry that people find hard to notice but appreciate — G-Vectoring Control.
To enhance cornering, most premium manufacturers use torque vectoring, where the computer sends out more power to the wheels on one side of the vehicle than the other. Mazda went down the road and decided to do it simply, by triggering a slight deceleration as the vehicle starts to corner. This causes the vehicle to transfer weight forward, helping the front tires get more grip and take the corner more smoothly.
Mazda claims the new CX-5 chassis is 15 per cent stiffer, but with a more compliant ride — sort of like having your cake and eating it, too.
The CX-5 starts at $24,900 for the GX model, with front-wheel drive, a 2.0litre engine and six-speed manual transmission (a rare combination). There is a GS and a top-of-the-line GT model, which I tested.
The GT model comes with the larger engine, all-wheel drive and six-speed automatic transmission. One nice note is that all except the base model come standard with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning and automatic braking in the city. These three cover the basics of active safety for city drivers. An optional package on the GS and GT add radar cruise control and braking support (among other items) to stretch the safety and convenience envelope to highway driving. Depending on what you need, you won’t have to pay extra for features you may rarely use.
After driving the 2017 Mazda CX-5, I bought one for my wife. The vehicle appeals to my enthusiast side, yet still cossets my wife in semi-luxury. Zoom zoom.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Compact SUV, front engine, all-wheel-drive Engine: Direct-injection 2.5-litre at 6,000 r.p.m., 185 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 r.p.m. Transmission: Six-speed automatic Dimensions (mm): Length, 4,550; width, 1,842; height, 1,680; wheelbase, 2,698 Curb weight (kg): 1,659 Price (base/as tested) GT model: $34,700/ $38,495 (includes $1,895 freight and PDI and $100 AC tax) Options: Technology Package $1,600, metallic paint $200 Tires: 225/55 R19 on alloy wheels Fuel type: Regular Fuel economy (L/100km): 10.2 city/8.3 highway Warranty: Three years/unlimited km new car and roadside assistance, five years/unlimited km powertrain